DESPITE what people might think, weight gain is not a natural by-product of getting older. Consistent increases or decreases in weight or body fat occur within the natural laws of physics, known as thermodynamics. Essentially, how much energy your body uses versus how much it takes in. There are only three energy balance options here:

More calories in vs out = weight gain

Same calories in vs out = weight maintenance

Less calories in vs out = weight loss

These laws of physics remain the same whether you are eight or 80, so why do people tend to gain weight as they age?

One of the main reasons is that we change which energy balance we are in, particularly when it comes to activity. This doesn’t mean that we don’t workout as much as we used to – although it could be a factor. It can simply mean that we move less day-to-day. Any movement, whether climbing stairs, washing the dishes, walking the dog, all require energy (calories).

There may be a belief that we should slow down as we age – enjoy retirement, sit down and relax more, take up crosswords or knitting – all perfectly fine activities but not requiring as much energy as we may have been used to. Therefore, if we choose to accept the belief that we need to slow down and do less as we age, don’t be surprised if you burn fewer calories on a daily basis. However, the habitual nature of the calories taken in is likely to remain the same and herein lies the issue – more calories going in vs out = weight gain.

Another myth around ageing and weight gain is ‘your metabolism slows down as you age’. Once again, your metabolism slows down if you allow it to. One of the big contributing factors of maintaining a higher metabolism is a good level of muscle mass. If you choose to be less active and don’t maintain some form of strength training your muscles will reduce in size and strength. As the saying goes: “If you don’t use it, you lose it.” This doesn’t mean you have to become a bodybuilder up on stage but some simple bodyweight strength exercises – push ups, squats, lunges – can do the trick – check out Google or YouTube for online home bodyweight strength routines.

As you can see, there are consequences to the choices we make, so choose wisely.

Joe Newbold

Personal trainer at mypremcoach, Premier Fitness Training

Hemyock